Toy automobile



March 24, 1936. M, 5 LOWER I 2,035,081

TOY AUTOMOBILE Filed Nov. 2, 1934 yaw/v 7232;

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. .24, 1936 Pars TOY AUTOMOBILE Melvin 8. Lower, Wrth, Ohio,

The Sun Rubber Company, Barber-to corporation of Ohio :1: to Ohio, a

Application November 2, 1934, Serial ,No. 751.1%

- 3 Claims. (01. sc -201) The present invention relates to improvements in toy automobiles preferably made of hard rubher and molded to simulate the designs of real automobiles, and has for its primary object to 5 produce such a toy which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and of such ornamental as to be P? to children. 1

Another object of the present invention is the to provision 05 an improved wheel mbly and the manner in which it is mounted upon and carried by the body of the toy' automobile.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a covering for the ordinarily fe-rzj l5 elements, such the ends of the axles or wheel hubs, which might otherwise damage articles'of furniture or cause injury to the children.

With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter explained in view, my inven- 20 tion consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed. I

Referring to the drawing.

1 is a side elevational view of a toy 25 automobile embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the showing the improved -ner in which the wheel rmare mou t and HUT igure 3 is a transverse sectional view r eoonlineHciFisurel;

40 wherein a body it is formed to simulate the design of the present type of pleasure vehicle having a hood H, fenders it, running boards it, doors it, etc., all made of rubber and prefembly by molding to produce an integral structure. The body is may be made from rubber of various colors and the radiator, head lights,

louvers, door handles and other similar parts may be painted with aluminum or other contrasting color to produce a pleasing appearance which will appeal particularly to children for whom the toy automobile is intended. b

To lighten the body It and also to conserve on the quantity of rubber used, a recess It is 55 provided adjacent the mid-section thereof and a particularly extends upwardly from the under side to adiacent the top for any desired distance.

Pairs of wheel recesses It and H are also formed in the under side of the body It as shown in Figure 2, the recesses it being located at the 5 front end thereof while the recesses ii are located at the rear end. The pairs of recesses I6 and ii are preferably aligned longitudinally while the recesses of each pair are suitably spaced apart and aligned transversely. A transverse 10 opening it is formed in the under side of the body it and extends between the recesses 86.

A slot 19 of relatively small width is also f0 in the'under side of the body and provides an entrance to the opening it for a purpose to be later described. A similar transverse opening it is formed between the recesses ii and like w has an entrant slot ii for a similar purpose.

A front wheel and axle assembly 22 and rear wheel and axle assembly 28 are provided d inasmuch as these constructions are identic it will sufice to describe the front one. A pair of wheels 2d preferably of rubber are mounted upon an axle 25 for free rotative movement thereon and the opposite ends of the axles y 25 .be upset to provide heads 28 to prevent disen- "Ihe slot is being of relatively small width in comparison with the size of the axle it prevents accidental disengement between the axle and body and the resiliency of the rubber material of the body tends to retain the axle 2b securely within the opening It. To assist in inserting the axle 25 through the slot i9, the adjacent end of a the body id may be distended due to the flexibility of the rubber as shown by dotted lines in Figure iuntil the slot It has been extended clently to permit the axle to readily p therethrough into the opening it, after which the end may be released and the resiliency of the ru will return the same to its normal position and thereby secure the axle in proper position.

There are numerous ways in which these wheel assemblies may be constructed, several modifications of which-are shown in the following figures. In Figure 5 a commercial type of rivet is used for the axle 25 which is provided. with a head 2"! atone end and a split opposite end, the tree ends of which may be upset at 28 to retain hubs 29 upon the shaft 25. These hubs have circumfer- A different assembly is shown in Figure 6 wherein the axle 25'is formed from a commercial type of rivet of slightly difierent form having a head 34 at one end and the opposite end split, the free ends of which are upset at 35 to prevent disengagement of the rubber tires 36. In this case the rubber tires are mounted directly upon the axle and the exposed ends of the latter are covered by forming skirts 31 integral with the fenders and extending across the ends of the shaft. This arrangement afiords the same protection as that shown in Figure 5.

While I have described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that I am not to be limited thereto inasmuch as changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle body of resilient material having in the bottom portion thereof a transversely ex-.

tending opening and communicating entrant slot 2. A vehicle body of resilient material having in the bottom portion thereof a transversely extending opening and communicating entrant slot receiving a wheel and axle assembly, said body being of such resiliency and shape that its flexure causes a divergence of the outward edges of the slot walls thereby temporarily enlarging its entrance to permit the ready insertion of said axle into said opening, said body returning to itsnormal vposition upon being relieved of its flexure whereby said. axle is secured in said opening against relative rotation.

3. A vehicle body ofresiiient material having in the bottom portion thereof a transversely extending opening and communicating entrant slot receiving a wheel and axle assembly comprising a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on a shaft the opposite ends of which have integral enlargements, said body being of such resiliency and shape that its fiexure causes a divergence oi! the outward edges of the slot walls thereby temporarily enlarging its entrance to permit the ready insertion of said shaft into said opening.

S. LOWER. 

